Travel Bag

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed toward a waterproof/leak proof container that can be used to store a wet loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, puff or other wet article for traveling. The invention has a body portion that holds the wet article, and a top portion that can be “zipped up” through means of a Zip-Lock® type of closure, or folded over on itself, and then secured with hook-and-loop, Velcro® or another type of fastener so that it does not unfold.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/401,324, filed 26 Sep. 2016, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

This invention was not federally sponsored.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the general field of containers, and more specifically to a travel bag capable of providing for waterproof/leakproof transport of wet items such as loofahs, body sponges, shower poufs, mesh bath sponge, puff and the like.

Brief Description of Invention

The travel bag is shaped like the object it is supposed to protect during travel, and hence can have a number of shapes. A preferred embodiment of the idea is to have the travel bag shaped like a loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, puff such that a traveler can take along his/her favorite loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, puff without worrying about damaging the loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, puff or having the wetness from the loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, puff get on any of the other contents of the suitcase, duffel bag, toiletry bag.

It can be made from PVC plastic or another similarly malleable and yet waterproof material, and a preferred embodiment uses PEVA, with a particularly preferred embodiment having PEVA with a thickness of 0.4 mm. PEVA is lead-free, BPA-free, and hand washable, dishwasher safe, and reusable. It is FDA-grade, food-safe material even though the use for which this patent is directed is not the food industry. The travel bag is open at one end and be can folded or zipped up when the user desires to close the travel bag. In one embodiment, the top of the bag is folded down, such that when it's top is folded and rolled down it is secured with hook-and-loop fasteners (one example of this is Velcro) or some other means of securement such that it is truly waterproof/leak proof. A preferred embodiment has the top closeable by means of a Zip-Lock® closure, such that an additional degree of waterproofing/leak proofing is obtained.

On the bottom of the bag is an expandable gusset, which allows the bag to be flattened for storage, or expanded to accommodate a loofa or other object while the user of the invention is traveling. The embodiment shown in the figures has a single gusset, but multiple gussets that open in an accordion fashion are contemplated.

Waterproof/leak proof bags are known in the art. Everything from Zip-Lock® bags to keep food clean and dry to watertight storage bags for river rafting show that our society values a bag that can keep articles dry. However, the opposite problem arises when you want to transport something that is wet, and you want to keep the wetness from seeping away from the wet article onto dry articles.

The current invention solves that problem, by providing a bag that can hold a wet article such as a loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, or puff during traveling such that a user can carry a wet article in a suitcase, duffel bag, toiletry bag without having the wetness spread to other items which the user wishes to remain dry. To be less legalese, how can a traveler use a wet loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, puff or other wet object on a trip, and then pack it into a suitcase without ending up with a suitcase full to soaked clothes? This invention provides a solution.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof/leak proof container that can protect other objects in a suitcase duffel bag, toiletry bag from the wetness of another object restrained and contained within the waterproof/leak proof container.

Additional objects of the invention include providing a waterproof/leak proof container that can be easily opened to insert a wet article, and yet at the same time can be closed and made waterproof/leak proof such that moisture from the wet article is restricted to the container. Options for closing the top of the container include multiple folds, rolling it down, as well as using a Zip-Lock® type of closure.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one aspect the invention a container with an open end, where the open end can be folded over and rolled down, then secured, such that it becomes a water proof/leak proof container.

Another aspect of the invention provides a container with an open end, where the open end can sealed by a Zip-Lock® type of closure such that it becomes a water proof/leak proof container.

Preferably, the bag is made from a waterproof and yet malleable material such as, preferably, PEVA, or, optionally, PVC.

Preferably, the PEVA has a thickness of 0.4 mm, but other thicknesses are contemplated.

Preferably, the bag is secured by a Zip-Lock® type of fastening device, or, optionally, by hook-and-loop fasteners (one example would be Velcro®).

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The features listed herein and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

It should be understood the while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the invention according to a preferred form of the invention with the bottom gusset extended.

FIG. 2 is side view of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a front, perspective view of the invention showing a loofa inside a transparent version of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a side, perspective view of the invention showing the container in an open configuration, before the top has been secured.

FIG. 5 is a top, perspective view of the invention showing the container before the top has been secured.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with references made to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the components of the present invention. Moreover, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts through the several views in the drawings. Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention are not limited in their application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments of the invention are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

REFERENCE NUMBERS USED

-   -   1. Body Portion     -   2. Top Portion     -   3. Gusset.     -   4. Tab     -   5. Zip-Lock® closure     -   6. Loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, puff

FIG. 1 is a bottom, perspective view of the invention with its bottom gusset expanded, according to a preferred form of the invention. A loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, or puff can be stored in a Body Portion 1. The body portion 1 is waterproof and leak proof through an effective means of temporarily sealing the top portion. At the bottom of the invention is a gusset 3, which is a pleated bottom which can be folded flat when not being used, but can expand laterally when a loofa or other object is placed in it. The gusset 3 allows a user to store the invention when not in use taking up very little space—barely more than a sheet of thick paper—and yet expand the gusset during travel.

FIG. 2 is side view of the invention. The top of the invention has a tab 4 that allows a user to more easily open the container. This view also shows the Zip-Lock 5 closure device that secures the top of the container. The top of the invention can be secured using a Zip-Lock® or similar device, or folded over and secured so that water cannot seep out the top portion, thereby making the container waterproof/leak proof such that water from the loofah, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, or puff does not soak other items in the suitcase, duffel bag or toiletry bag.

FIG. 3 is a front, perspective view of the invention showing a loofa 6 inside a transparent version of the invention. The tab 4 can be used to open the container. A user can put in a loofah 6, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, puff or other wet item, then close the top portion 2 through the Zip-Lock® type of closure 5. By sealing the top portion 2 of the invention, a user can use the loofa 6 at a hotel room, then seal it up while traveling to another destination.

FIG. 4 is a side, perspective view of the invention showing the container in an open configuration, before the top has been secured. The top portion 2 has been loosened and opened, allowing a user to insert a loofah 6, body sponge, shower pouf, mesh bath sponge, puff or other wet article in the bottom portion. The Zip-Lock® closure means 5 is shown in its open position. After the loofa 6 has been inserted, the top portion 2 is closed by means of the Zip-Lock 5.

FIG. 5 is a top, perspective view of the invention showing the container before the top has been secured. The Zip-Lock 5 has been opened, allowing for a user of the invention to insert a loofa 6 into the body portion 1, or to remove the loofa 6 once the user of the invention gets to a new location and wants to use the loofa 6.

It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved. 

That which is claimed is:
 1. A container for transporting wet articles, consisting of: a body portion and a top portion, where the body portion comprises a container with a bottom and two sides, where the two sides each have a top edge, a bottom edge, and two side edges, where the bottom edges of each of the two sides is permanently attached to the other of each of the bottom edges of each of the two sides, and where the where the two side edges of each of the two sides are permanently attached to the other of each of the side edges, such that the container has an open top and a closed bottom and two closed sides, where, the body portion consists of PEVA material, and where the body portion consists of PEVA material that has a thickness of 0.4 mm, and where the body portion additionally comprises a gusset, where the gusset is an expandable fold in the bottom of the body portion allowing a user of the invention to store the container in a flat position when not in use, and to expand the container through expanding the gusset to allow for the insertion of a loofa or other similar article, and where the top portion comprises an opening, and a means of sealing and unsealing the container, where the means of sealing and unsealing the container is a Zip-Lock® sealer, where the top portion additionally comprises a tab, where the tab allows a user to more easily open the container.
 2. The container of claim 1, where the PEVA from which the body portion is made is clear.
 3. The container of claim 1, where the PEVA from which the body portion is made is opaque.
 4. A container for transporting wet articles, comprising: a body portion and a top portion, where the body portion comprises a container with a bottom and two sides, where the two sides each have a top edge, a bottom edge, and two side edges, where the bottom edges of each of the two sides is permanently attached to the other of each of the bottom edges of each of the two sides, and where the where the two side edges of each of the two sides are permanently attached to the other of each of the side edges, such that the container has an open top and a closed bottom and two closed sides, and where the top portion comprises an opening, where the body portion has a thickness, and a means of sealing and unsealing the container.
 5. The container of claim 4, where the body portion comprises PVC.
 6. The container of claim 4, where the body portion comprises PEVA material.
 7. The container of claim 5, where the body portion consists of PEVA material that has a thickness of between 0.2 and 0.6 mm.
 8. The container of claim 7, where the thickness is between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm.
 9. The container of claim 7, where the thickness is 0.4 mm.
 10. The container of claim 4, where the body portion additionally comprises a gusset, where the gusset is an expandable fold in the bottom of the body portion allowing a user of the invention to store the container in a flat position when not in use, and to expand the container through expanding the gusset to allow for the insertion of a loofa or other similar article.
 11. The container of claim 10, where the body portion consists of PEVA material that has a thickness of between 0.2 and 0.6 mm.
 12. The container of claim 10, where the thickness is between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm.
 13. The container of claim 10, where the thickness is 0.4 mm.
 14. The container of claim 4, where the top portion additionally comprises a tab, where the tab allows a user to more easily open the container.
 15. The container of claim 14, where the means of sealing and unsealing the container is a Zip-Lock® sealer.
 16. The container of claim 14, where the means of sealing and unsealing the container is a top portion that can be folded over on itself in a number of folds.
 17. The container of claim 16, where the number of folds is between one and four.
 18. The container of claim 17, where the top portion additionally comprises hook-and-loop fasteners, where the hook-and-loop fasteners comprise a hook face and a loop face, and where the hook face is attached to the body portion, and the loop face is attached to the top portion, such that after the top portion is folded over on itself, the hook face and the loop face are in alignment such that the top portion can be restrained in a folded position by the hook-and-loop fasteners.
 19. The container of claim 18, where the thickness is between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm.
 20. The container of claim 18, where the thickness is 0.4 mm. 